Salvation Army Earthquake Recovery Gears up for Christmas

Christchurch streets carry the scars of the 7.1 magnitude quake that struck on 4 September, but The Salvation Army says the real damage is the ongoing anguish, the uncertainty and the residue of fear faced by thousands of families.

The Salvation Army is gearing-up for Christmas and the New Year. It has launched the ‘Angel Programme’, where family, friends and neighbours of those struggling with the after effects of the quake can contact The Salvation Army, who can step in and offer various kinds of support. The project is being championed by the More FM radio station, and is uncovering additional unmet needs.

Respite holiday packages are being offered for families and individuals who can demonstrate having been adversely affected by the quake. The usual Salvation Army Christmas social programmes are being significantly extended in the region.

The Salvation Army is also examining programmes to help homeowners who are under-insured or who find they have unexpected additional repair or landscaping costs.

Salvation Army officers and volunteers working with those affected by the quake report families facing financial catastrophe, anxious children still refusing to sleep in their own beds, and adults who prefer to sleep in their garden sheds than risk a major aftershock in their homes at night.

They talk of broken marriages, depression, nerves jangled by more than 3000 aftershocks of magnitude two or greater, over-crowded houses as families seek refuge from their condemned homes with family and friends, and mounting frustration as homeowners wrestle with what their futures might look like.

And then there are the uninsured that face financial ruin. Around 3300 families could be unable to move back into their homes for up to three years, according to the Earthquake Commission’s latest geotechnical report.

The Salvation Army suspects demand on its services will rapidly expand once people’s savings or insurance support are exhausted. Communities have pulled together, but people are exhibiting symptoms of anxiety and depression.

‘Each day, we have new people coming to us [and they] find the experience very humbling,’ says Major Mike Allright, Corps Officer of Linwood Corps. ‘These are not our usual clients; they include business people, employed people who now have reduced work hours or lost their jobs, people who have tried to survive on their own but are now out of savings and have come to the point where they are really struggling.’

Alistair Graham, a former Christchurch City Council manager, has recently been appointed to manage The Salvation Army’s ongoing earthquake recovery work in Canterbury. He says The Salvation Army’s compassionate response has been highly valued in the communities where it has worked.